Controlling device for heaters



Jan. 5 Q 1926. 1,568,756

` J. MCALEAR ET AL GONTROLLING DEVICE FOR HEATERS Filed June4 18, 1917 4 Sheets-Sheet l .Y -[f1/'Ue WiL-17,13.' l u James cl/wl L mest 14./ 'esbef/L, (Z444 v by cwJrab Jan. 54 1926. 1,568,756

J. MCALEAR ET AL CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR HEATERS -mew FSbeO/v.

Jan. 5 1926. 1,568,756`

J. MGALEAR Er AL CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR HEATERS Filed June' 18, 1917 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 lxlg t a/ m 62 :g 65 m 1l? l /o/ uw 5g-JF /7 w ms Jal/nea m/ ewf and Jan. 5 926 1,568,756

J. MCALEAR ET AL CONTROLLING DEVICEFOR HEATERS Filed June 18s 1917 4 sheets-sheet 4 I IIII l naamw/ifm ttl To all 'whom 'it may concern.:

Beit mown that we, JAMES Mo l -f i; and ERNEST W. RIESBECK, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of @ook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Controlling Devices for Heaters, of which the following is a specification. i

lThis invention relates to controlling an regulating devices for heaters, and has for its object to provide a new and improved device of this description adapted to be connected to the heater and particularly7 adapted to be used to automatically control the heaters such as the radiators of a steam heating-system, so that each heater may be independently controlled by regulating the admission of the steam thereto, and hence the heating of the apartment containing such heater.

The invention is illustrated in the accomthrough the controlling device.

Fig. 3 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrows 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view showing a device similar to that of Fig. .2-with parts broken away, connected up vboth with the admission and return of the heater.

Fig. 5 is a view in part section showing a modified construction. l

Fig. 5a is a sectional view taken online Fig. 6 is a view in part section showing a further modified construction.

Fig. l shows a further modihcation.

liihe numerals refer to like parts through` out the several hgures. L

Referring now to Fig. 1, we have shown a heater 1 provided with an aission pipe 2 and return pipe 31. Located in the admission pipe is a controlling and regulating de- T(ice il, @ne form ot this device is illustrated indetail in Fig. 2.v As shown in this gure, a casing d is connected in the admission pipe 2 and contains a valve 5 adapted -to seat on a seat 5a. llhs valve` is provided with 'a stem 6 which projects through the section da of the casing. This valve stem passes through an adjustable part 8 having a sliding connection therewith and a spring 7 surrounds the valve stem and engages the :urine non ron' gert 8' and a part 9 on the end of the stem. aid spring tends to hold the valve 5 away trom its seat. The valve stem projects into the controller casing 10 containing the controlling element for the valve. This casing is provlded with a heating chamber 11 which is heated inany desired manner. Asherein shown, the valve stem 6 is provided with an opening 12 having a discharge end 13 and through which fluid passes into the heating chamber 11. Associated with the heating chamber is a power chamber 14 which contains some material which develops power when heated, as for example, an expanding fluid such as a liquid which when heated is Converted into a vapor or a gas. The power chamber 14 has a communication leading to the controlling chamber 15. In the construction shown, this communication consists of the passageway 16, the chamber 17 and the passageway 18. This connection is controlled in some desired manner and as herein shown we provide a controlling device responsive to the variations in the temperature of the apartment, said device, as shown, being a thermostatic device consisting of a valve 19 which engages a seat 20 at the end of. the passageway 16.' This valve is actuated by a thermostat 21 which is mounted so as to move the valve as the temperature` varies. A

1n the construction shown this thermostat has one end connected with the valve means oi a screw 29 -.which engages the Y thermostat (see Fig. 2) and which is controlled hy'the movable indicating device 23 f having a pointer 24: which works along a graduated scale 25, said scale indicating the temperatures at which the device operates.

lt will he seen that hy moving the part 23 the temperature at which the valve 19 is operated can he varied. The thermostat 21 is arran ed so that the air in the apartment passes hy it, v said air passingk 'upward through the openings 26 and 27'.l lin the particular construction shown the valve stem 19n ot vthe valve 19 is connected with two diaphram 29 and 29 loyrthe yoke 30 which passes around the part 31 containing the valve 19, the two diaphragme in as it were, in the same chamber so that w en the huid from the power chamber passes into this chamber, it will act upon both diaphragms and thus produce a balanced condition so that it has no e'ect on either opening or closing the valve. One side of each diaphragm is exposed to the atmosphere. This connection is made to one side of the diaphragm 29 by the openings 29a. When the temperature 1n the apartment rises above a predetermined point', the thermostat is moved so as to move the valve 19 away from its seat and permit the power fluid from the power chamber to ass into the controlling chamber 15 where 1t acts to move the valve stem and force the valve 5 down upon its seat, thereby cutting off the supply of the heatinPg iiuid to the heater.

In ig. 2 the controlling chamber 15 contains the flexible dia hragm or bellows and e ansion disk 32 which connects with the va ve stem 6. When the power fiuid passes into the chamber 15 the pressure thereotl compresses this flexible bellows so as to m'ove` the valve stem to force the valve 5 against its seat. Connected with the valve stem and surrounding the spring is a sleeve 32n which slides in the threaded sleeve 33 and which prevents the steam from the heating chamber 11 from passing into the controlling chamber 15. We prefer to provide one or more grooves 34 between the two sleeves, the water produced by the condensed steam entering these grooves and forming aY packing. This device may be arranged so that it can be applied to the heaters as now used by simply attaching the casing 10 to the part 4 of the valve casing now used on radiators.

In the construction of Fig. 2 when the expansible liquid is Iheated and converted into a va or or a as it passes up into chamber 15 w en the t ermostat opens `the valve 19. When the thermostat closes the valve, the gas in chamber 15 gradually condenses into a liquid and runs own into the space below the valve stem 19. The condensation of this gas lowers the pressure in chamber 15 so that when the valve 19 -is again opened the gas will rush into chamber 15 and again act to close the main valve 5. When the liquid in the chamber below valve stem 19fL rises to a level above the opening controlled by the' valve it will flow back into the chamber 14 when the valve is opened.

In Fig. 4 we have shown a-device connected up both with the admission and return of the heater. In this iigure the controlling apparatus is similar to that shown in Fig. 2 with the exce tion that'the inlet opening 35 is controlle by two valves, the va lve 5 and the valve 36. The valve 36 is contained in the additional casing 37 which is connected-in the return pipe 38 of the heater. The valve 36 is controlled by a suitable thermostatic device so that when 4 the radiator is lled with heating fluid and weaves it asses out through the return pipe, it str es this thermostatic device and causes the valve 36 to be moved to close the opening 35, and thus shut ofi' the-admission of the heating fluid to the heater.

As shown in Fig. 4 this thermostatic device consists of an ex ansion disc 39 which contains expansible uid, either liquid or gas, the valve 36 being connected therewith so that when the heating fluid passes through the casing, it expands and moves the valve 36 to its closed position. There is some suitable retracting device, as for example, the spring 40. The stem 41 of the valve 36 is preferably packed in some suitable manner as by means of the water packing rings 42. In this construction we have also provided a passageway 43 which conneet-s the heating chamber 151 with the admission pipe 2 so that steam can pass into the heating chamber when the valve .-16 is dosed.

It will be seen that with this construction during the period the valve 5 is opened, the valve 36 will be intermittently closed and opened, for as soon as the heating fluid passes into the heater and out the pipe 38 and strikes the expansion disc 39, the expansion thereof moves the valve 36 to its closed position. Further admission of heating fluid is then stopped and heating iiuid, such for example as steam, remaining in the heater, will be condensed, thus producing a vacuum, or partial vacuum, in the heater. The expansion disc 39 will then he cooled by the water of condensation or the interruption of the flow of steam, the valve 36 opened and more heating fluid admitted, and this intermittent action will continue until the temperature of the room rises to the predetermined temperature which causes the controlling device for the valve 5 to act, whereupon the said valve is closed, shutting off the heating iiuid from the heater. By means of this construction the heater is operated either at or below atmospheric pressure both with or without a vacuum pro ducing device attached to the return pipe 38,. thus itself regulating the temperature and giving an eiiicient action and a moderate heat.

In Fig. 5 we have shown a modified construction where the valve stem 6 is connected with the ex ansion disc 32 as shown in Fig. 2, but the thermostat control for the power fluid is arranged in a different manner. In this construction the thermostat 55 whichl contains an expansible fiuid is mounted in a tube 56 provided with openings 57 Jfor the passage of air into and out of the tube so as to permit the air to come into Contact with the thermostat. The thermostat is mounted upon the adjustable support 5S. The thermostat is connected with a rod 59 attached to a valve 60 which centrols the disc 32a.

admission ot the power huid troni the power chamber 14 `to the controlling chamber l5,4

the huid passing through passageways 61 and. 62. The rod 59 is also connected with a diaphragm 63 and a spring 64v tends to ymove thev valve in onel direction while the spring tends to move it in an opposite direction. It will thus.` be seen that when the temperature of the apartment reaches a predetermined point, the thermostat 55 moves the valve 60 to permit the power duid to pass through the passageways 61 and 62 to the controlling chamber 15 where it acts upon the discs 32 so as to cause the valve 2 to be closed. In this construction the device is adjusted by means of the threaded connection between the casing 10 and the section 4a, the raising ot the casing 10 causing the valve to close more slowly,

and the lowering of it causing it tovclose more quickly. The casing is held in any of its adjusted positions by the adjusting nut 66.

In Figure 6 we have shown a modified construction where the pressure of the heating fluiditself is used to close the valve. In this construction the valveV V'stem 6 is provided with a passageway 46 which extends to the Wall 47there being an opening 48 which communicates with the passageway 49 leading to the disc`52. This passageway is controlled by a valve 5() connected to a valve stem 51 adapted to be actuated by a thermostat 52. As shown, the valve stem 5l is in proximity to a diaphragm 53 which is engaged by one side of the thermostat,

the other side engaging the adjustable stop casing 32c and intoA the" expansion disc 32a.

The eating iiluiol then exerts a pressure on the discvto expand it and moves the valve stem so as to move the valve 5 to its closed position. When the temperature oit the apartment falls, the thermostatl moves so as to permit the spring 55a to close the valve 50 and shut od the heating Huid from the When the pressure on this elise is lowered, the spring 56a moves the stern 6 so as to open the valve 5. Any ot the heating duid, when the heating fluidI is steam, for example, which is condensed, may pass out through the passageway 57a in the valve stem and the'passageway 58a in the removable section 591. The valve 59a automatically opens to let the water of condensation pass out but closes to prevent the steam v.trom passing up through the passageway 58a. A packing gland 60a torthe valve stem may be provided and there may also be provided the packing grooves 61 and 62:L arranged to receive water of Vcondensation as a packing. 4

' In Fig. 7 we have shown a further moditication. This construction is similar to Fig. 6 except that the passageway 49 communicates with the casing 63a containing the disc 32.b so that the pressure of the heating fluid is applied to the exterior ofthe disc instead otto the interiorV thereof` i We cla-im:

l. A regulating device for heaters comprising a casing, aA valve for controlling the admission of the heating fluid to the heater. a controlling element connected with said valve for moving 'itrto its closed position, a controlling chamber in said casing containing said controlling element. a power chamber containing expansible Huid, means for heating saidexpansible fluid b v means of a portion of said heating Huid, a connection between said power chamber andsaid controlling chamber, a valve for controlling said connection and a thermostat for operating said valve, said thermostat responsive lto variations in temperature in the apartment to be hea-ted. f

2. A regulating device for heaters com- -prising a valve casing, a valve therein conl.trolling the admission of the heating fluid to the heater, a stem connected with said valve, a heating chamber associated with said valve stem, a power chamber in, proximity to said heating chamber so as to be heated thereby, said power chamber containing a fluid which expands when heated, a controlling chamber, a connection between said power chamber and said controllingchamber, means for opening said connection responsive to variations vin temperature in the vapartment to be heated so as to admit the power fluid to the controlling chamber and means for applying the pressure of said power huid in said controlling chamber to said valve to move it to its closed position.

3. A regulating device for heaters comprising a valve for controlling the admission which acts llt@ liti

oit the heating huid to the heater, means fory actuating said valve comprising a power chamber containing power fluid, a controlling chamber separate from said power chamber, a normally closed connection between the power chamber and the controlling j expand and pass into said controlling cham-` ber and means in saidfcontrollingchamber for applying the/pressure 4of saidA power fluid admitted to said chamber, to move said valve towards its closed position.

4. A regulating device for heater comprising a valve for controlling the admission of the heating fluid to the heater, a stem for said valve, a controlling chamber into which said stem projects, a disc in said controlling chamber connected with said stem, a power chamber containing an expansible fluid, means for heat-ing said power chamber, a normally closed connection between said power chamber and said cont-rolling chamber, a valve controlling said connection, a thermostat connected with said valve and responsive to variations in temperature of the apartment to be heated and adapted when the temperature reaches a predetermined point, to open said connection and admit the power fluid to the said controlling chamber so that it acts upon said disc to move said first named valve towards its closed position and means' for moving said valve to its open position when the pressure of said disc has fallen to a predetermined point. i

5. A regulating device for heaters comprising an admission pipe for admitting the heating fluid to the heater, a valve for controlling said admission pipe, a stem for said valve, a controlling chamber into which said stem projects, a disc in said controlling` chamber connected with said stem, a power chamber containing an expansible fluid, a heating chamber in proximity to said power chamber, means for admitting the heating fluid into said heating chamber, a normally closed connection between said power chamber and said controlling chamber, a valve controlling said connection, a thermostat for actuating said valve, said thermostat responsive to variations in temperature of the apartment to he heated, and adapted when the temperature reaches a predetermined point to open said connection and admit the power' fluid to the said controlling chamber so as to act upon said disc to move said first named valve towards its closed position and a spring connected with said valve stem and opposing the pressure of said power fluid.-

6. A regulating device for heaters comprising a valve for controlling the admission of the heating fluid to the heater, a controlling element connected with said valve for moving it to its closed position, a controlling chamber containing said controlling element, a power chamber containing expansible fluid, means for heating meente said expansible fluid by means of a portion of said heating fluid, a connection between said power chamber and said-controlling chamber, a valve for controlling said connection and a thermostat for operating said valve, said thermostat responsive to variations in temperature in the apartment to be heated, all of' said elements being connected together so as t`o form a compact structure and means for connecting said structure with the admission pipe of said heater so as to form a single com act structure whereby the controlling mec anism for each heater is independent of the controlling mechanism for any of the other heaters.

T. A regulating device for heaters `comprising a casing adapted to be connected with the admission pipe of the heater, a valve mounted in said'casing for controlling the admission of the heating fluid to the heater, means for actuating said valve comprising a power chamber in said casing and containing a power fluid, a controllin chamber in said casing separate from sai power chamber, a normally closed connection between the power chamber and the controlling chamber, a thermostatic device supported by said casing for opening and closing said connection in response to variations in temperature in the apartment to be heated and means in said controllin chamber for applying the pressure of sai power fluid admitted to said chamber, to move said valve towards its closed position. 8. A self contained regulating device for heaters comprising a va ve casing, a valve therein adapted to control the admission of the heating fluid to said heater, a valve stem connected with said valve, a pressure receiving device connected with said valve stem and adapted when the pressure of a power fluid is applied thereto to move the valve to close it, sa1d valve casing having a passageway therein for connecting a source of power fluid with said pressure receiving device, a valve mounted on said casing for controlling said passageway, and a thervmostat mounted upon said casing for controlling said valve, said thermostat responsive to variations in temperature of the apartment to be heated.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and Stage of Illinois, this 29th day of May, 191

JAMES MCALEAR. ERNEST w. RIEsBEcK. 

